I got new rules
by ImGonnaBuildCastles
Summary: Chloe needs advice from someone, that someone happens to be her big brother. Warning, mentions of Isaac and Evans abuse.


She turned up on his doorstep on the day of the funeral, her mum had been called into work, something that Chloe had persuaded her she needed. They needed time apart, despite common belief she wasn't going to break.

It had been a longshot, she didn't even know if he was in. She didn't know why she went to him, maybe it was the moping around at her mums that she couldn't deal with, the looks. Not that she wouldn't get that from him, but it would be different. She wouldn't feel so bad, always treading on egg shells to protect her mother, she didn't want to bring up the uncomfortable memory of her conception. If this had taught her anything, it was how strong her mum had been. How strong she still is. Raising her rapists' baby was something else, could she do it? Definitely not. She couldn't go through anything her mum had been through, Dom, her. Everything.

He was in, surprisingly. Recently, it had seemed he was working every hour under the sun. She had heard her mother complain to Sacha about how he needs to stop, it's dangerous. Not like she could talk, Ange was the original workaholic. She guessed that was her way of coping, now. When Chloe was little it was her way of getting through everything. She had to be mum and dad, something she couldn't understand. Not until now.

He opened the door, registering the shock on his face. He hadn't seen her in weeks, no texts, no messages. She guessed he just didn't know what to say, fuck she didn't know what to say. What can you say? Or maybe her mum, their mum, said something.

'Can I come in?'

'Sure.'

She hadn't been to his flat before. It was different, in a good way. She had found his address in her mums address book, when she was bored. 'Nice flat.'

'Thanks.'

'You're not busy, are you? I can go' she asks, as he shakes his head.

'No, Lofty went to work about an hour ago. I was just catching up with the washing. Hence the mess.'

'Do you need any help?' He pulls a face, biting his lip as to whether he should make a comment, not sure how she could receive it.

'Go on, spit it out.'

'Are you feeling okay, offering to help someone with putting their washing away isn't normal behaviour.' She grins, shaking her head.

'I've missed stuff like this.'

'Putting washing away? If I never had to-do this again, I would be happy. When I was in med-school I think I did it maybe eight times, in the whole seven years. Student me believed that the floor was a good wardrobe.'

'You are gross Dominic. Come on though, what do you want to-do. I've interrupted your day off because I'm bored, I can at least help.'

'Well if you're offering, you can start folding my t-shirts up.' She smiles a little bit, being guided to the pile he is talking about.

'Drink?' She shakes her head, she's had so much tea and coffee in the last two weeks, she doesn't think she will ever be able to drink it again. 'Well I'll be making myself one.' She smiles, going back to the mind-numbing task that is folding up his t-shirts.

'Do you have any coke?' She asks, as he turns around.

'You think me, a doctor, keeps coke in the house? Do you know how bad it is?' She pulls a face as he starts laughing, 'normal, or coke zero? I assume we are talking about the drink and not the drug?'

'Normal, I need the sugar, this is the most I've moved in days. Oh, nice top.' She pulls out the t-shirt, examining it and placing it over her top.

'Suits you.' He deadpans, 'but stop it that is my favourite top.' He comes out with her glass of coke, leaning against his table. 'Seriously though, do you want to talk about it?' She just shrugs,

'not really. He's dead, he's gone.'

'Yeah but you must feel something?'

'What did you feel, after Isaac? I know it was different, Isaac's was ongoing, he hurt you for months on end.'

'How do you know that?' Chloe stops in her tracks, aware that she wasn't supposed to know that. Ange had sworn to her to keep that a secret. Sacha had told her, as she cornered him. As she knew, she could be scary.

'Oh.'

'Sacha. I knew he couldn't keep it to himself. Or Essie?'

'Neither.'

'Well then who was it?' She sighs,

'Mum, she cornered Sacha. She wanted to hear the whole story, after you know he came back.' He shrugs.

'It was a while ago.'

'That doesn't answer my question though.' He shrugs, 'i'll be honest with you, when you start being honest with me.'

'What can you feel? I genuinely thought he loved me, it was intense. I could look past it, he loved me. I felt loved, something that I hadn't before. The bruises, the bones, they would heal over time. The love would last.' He starts, not sure how much he should tell her. She was, after all, his sister. They should be able to have an open, and honest, relationship. 'I felt numb. I felt hurt and betrayed. But most of all, I felt humiliated.' He confesses, not quite meeting the gaze of Chloe, of his sister.

'Humiliated?'

'I had spent ages defending him, my best friend had told me, and I refused to listen. I thought she was jealous, I even fell out with her about it. I feel terrible about it, it hadn't been that long since Arthur had died.'

'Arthur?' He sighs internally, shaking his head. This was another thing that they didn't have, they didn't have any shared history. In a way, he felt like Jac Naylor when she announced to Darwin ward that Jasmine was her sister. The whole having no shared history because they don't and he didn't really want to reopen wounds about his past, about Isaac and about Arthur. Yet, here he was, with the sister he never knew he had, the one he had wanted, and he felt obligated to tell her. He could see she was hurting, and she had come to him for something, advice maybe? He didn't know.

'Arthur Digby.'

'The doctor that died? Cam's ex-girlfriend was his wife?'

'He was my best friend, him, Zosia and me. We were a group. When he died, I fell apart, Isaac well he filled that void, the numbness inside of me. It's something i can't describe, no matter how much I try. I didn't listen, I even had Mr Hanssen put a leaflet in my locker about domestic abuse and I blamed Zosia, thinking it was her. I just feel really shitty about the way I acted, and it was embarrassing. It was embarrassing that everyone knew, it's not something I wanted to share but everyone knew. It came to a head when I fell down the stairs, no one believes me, but he didn't push me, but it did make me report everything that had happened.'

'What about when you went back?'

'It wasn't as bad as I imagined. Everyone was kind, but you get sick of it pretty quickly, I just wanted to get on with my life. Then he came back, that was my fault. Everything with Lofty, I just wanted that attention and I guess that I got it from him. I didn't expect all that to happen, but it's over now.' He pauses, as she studies him. She watches as he twists his hands together, gently biting down on his lip. 'Why?'

'I am thinking of going back. I'm losing my mind at my mum's, our mum.' Dom smiles weakly,

'You're mum. She's told me that time and time again. Anyway, when are you thinking?'

'Don't do that Dom. She was wrong to-do that. You are her son.' Dom shakes his head, as Chloe starts. 'She loves you Dom, whatever she says. I know that she wants a relationship with you, she just doesn't know how.' Dom just shrugs,

'can we change the subject?'

'If you want, but whatever you think of mum and the way she thinks about you, you're my big brother. I want you to be that guy.'

'I'd love to be that. I always wanted a sibling.' Chloe smiles, leaning into his shoulder. 'Does that mean I can find you annoying and bitch about you to Sacha?' Chloe laughs,

'if you do, I want that top. I think I have the perfect pair of trousers that will go with it.'

'No chance.'

'You're no fun.'

'I'm your big brother, not your big sister.'

'I still want your clothes.'

'You are a brat.'

'Now you're just being rude.'

'Love you to.'

'Do you think we would have gotten on, if we had grown up together?' Chloe wonders aloud, staring at the artwork on the wall.

'Were you one of those really stroppy teenagers?'

'Mum will probably tell you I was, she would be lying. I bet you were.'

'Hey, I was a delight. I am still a delight.'

'Now I know you are lying.'

'I don't know then.' He teases, 'you would probably be too annoying for me. I would go into school bitching about you.'

'Nah mum would have made you walk with me. She didn't let me do anything.'

'Oh God, my friend had one of those mums. I would have hated that.'

'It was embarrassing as she tried to wait at the gate to walk home with me until Christmas of year seven. First week was fine, but the remaining eleven weeks was just embarrassing. I was always thankful when she got called into work, that's why I joined the netball team.'

'You were one of the sporty ones?' He teases,

'well one of us had to be sporty. I mean look at you.'

'Oi cheeky, I'll kick you out. If you must know, I was always at the gym.'

'Bullshit.'

'Yeah, you're right. Complete and utter bullshit.' The laughter is interrupted when Chloe's phone starts to ring.

'Answer it, that ringtone gives me PTSD from my alarm.' Chloe pulls a face.

'Hello mum.'

'Where are you?' A strong Scottish accent blares through the phone. 'I've come home, and you've gone. I told you not to-'

'Chill mum, I'm at Dom's.'

'Hi Ange.'

'Why are you there?'

'I needed a change of scenery. I'm helping him with his laundry.'

'His laundry? You barely do your own. Maybe before you go giving me a heart attack going to Dom's to-do his laundry, you could do your own.' Dom struggles to hide his smirk as she pulls a face.

'Look mum, the wash is nearly done. I'll be home later.'

'Make sure he looks after you.'

'I always do.' He yells into the background.

'Oh, you are actually at his.'

'Where did you think I was ?'

'I don't know. Do you want me to come over?'

'You're more than welcome to bring food because I can see Dom's open fridge and, is that a tomato?' Dom nods enthusiastically. 'Currently in his fridge he has a pack of interesting looking tomatoes and a pint of milk, or is that cheese? I'd like Sushi.' Chloe hangs up the phone smiling.

'Dinner is sorted.' Dom just raises his eyebrows as Chloe smiles, pulling his little sister in for a hug. 'I needed this, today, you've been great. Thank you.'


End file.
